The Truth of the Toad
by Seta Kaede
Summary: COMPLETE! Sequel coming soon! Todd has been hiding his past; who is he really? What will happen when the other Brotherhood find out, and can the X-men help?
1. Chapter 1

Todd's POV  
  
It had just been another boring day at Bayville High, ever since Mystique disappeared and Principal Kelly took over things have been pretty boring. Everyone here thinks they know me, the dumb kid who talks like an uneducated lout and barely passes his classes.  
  
Or as the hygienically challenged mutant with the dumb curse, that's right, I said curse, my powers are no gift as some would want us to believe, my whole life has proven that.  
  
I walk along the side of the road, alone, the others have ditched me they always do; Lance is most likely hanging out with Kitty, Pietro always runs home, Tabitha is probably blowing something up, somewhere, and Fred is probably already stuffing his face back at the house.  
  
Though I have let these four get closer then most they still do not see behind my lies, and my mask, they have never seen my true powers, or my true self, the genius with the good power and real issues. I chuckle at the thought and look up as a brand new Rolls Royce pulls up right alongside me.  
  
Oh shit! It can't be him, I escaped, I got away there is no way he could have found me here, I even changed my name, how could he have discovered my hiding spot? The window rolls down and a head leans out the window, "Hello son, aren't you glad to see me?"  
  
I glare coldly at the man who refers to himself as my father, he was never that, merely the sperm donor that contributed DNA to the process, "What the fuck are you doing here?!"  
  
The toad has left and I show my true self, standing up straight with my eyes narrowed to glimmering slits and my tongue hissing between my lips, the serpent in me has arrived.  
  
Normal POV  
  
Unknown to Todd the brotherhood had not actually ditched him, the rest of them had each gotten detention from Principal Kelly again. Finally they were allowed to leave and they all climbed into Lance's jeep for the ride back to the boarding house.  
  
Lance was the first to speak on the ride home "How in the hell did Todd not get detention, if we did you know that Kelly asshole would have given it to him just to make it complete."  
  
The others just shrugged as they turned down the stretch of road that led back to the boarding house. Suddenly Tabitha spoke up, "Hold up Lance, slow down and check that out!"  
  
Right in front of them was the sweetest car any of them had ever seen and a guy was standing next to it talking to the window. The door opened and a tall dangerous looking man climbed out, suddenly Pietro realized something, "Isn't that Todd talking to the guy with the kickass ride?"  
  
The others looked and realized it was, however they hardly recognized the one they made fun of so much, he was standing straight up, taller then any of them had though, his eyes were merely slits and a tongue seemed to hiss from his mouth.  
  
Lance started the jeep up again, "C'mon guys lets go see what Todd has been hiding." 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Todd's POV  
  
As my supposed father climbed out of the car I heard the sound of a jeep coming roaring up, the thoughts running through my head faster then Pietroat full speed, Oh no what am I going to do? What am I going to say, how am I going to explain this?  
  
Just then I heard Lance's voice, "Hey Todd, who is the rich guy with the sweet ride and why is he talking to you?"  
  
My father let a small smile grace his face as he noticed the quick look of panic that flitted across my features, he had always tried to find my weaknesses and exploit them, using me for his advantage.  
  
He turned to the four sitting in the jeep, "So you are friends of Rupert?" The four in the jeep just looked confused and my father sent a look towards me that chilled me to my bones, "Or is he going by Todd now?"  
  
Normal POV  
  
The brotherhood continued to look at each other with confusion, the same thought running through all of their heads, "Who in the hell is Rupert?"  
  
The smile on the man's face grew as he continued to talk to them, "I see my son has not told you his real name, not the alias he has been using, isn't that right Rupert Todd Hardwick?" He had managed to stress the word son when he was talking to them  
  
Lance was the first to shake himself out of the daze that was caused by the multiple revelations that were made by this statement "Wait a minute, you're Todd's dad?" The others seemed as amazed as Lance appeared to be by the idea that Todd actually had a family.  
  
"Yes I am, and there are some friends that have been missing Serpent greatly since he ran away, so he is coming back with me right now."  
  
The Brotherhood watched in amzement as fangs and a long forked tongue emerged from Todd's mouth, "Never in hell will I ever come back to you or your friends." This words were spat at the man in front of him as the fangs that had just appeared were bared.  
  
If it was possible, the smile only grew wider, "Oh your fight is still alive, they will love it, and yes you will come with me like a good obedient boy or your friends here are going to be enjoying the hospitality of the nearest jail, I know the chief here and I wonder how he would react if I said I was attacked by a group of mutants, mainly these four?"  
  
He waved his hand at the Brotherhood behind him, "I'm sure he would be happy to take them into custody and show them what happens to mutants in jail."  
  
Those in the jeep just gaped as Todd looked into the cold eyes of his father and realized he would do exactly what he said. Finally Todd dropped his eyes to the ground and slouched his posture, "Yes, I will come with you."  
  
A hand snaked out and delivered a harsh slap to Todd's cheek, "Have you forgotten how to address me slime? Address me properly."  
  
The brotherhood seemed ready to jump from the jeep Todd looked up at them a red mark that would soon bruise marring his cheek and stopped them with his hand, "He will do just what he says so just stay out of it."  
  
They halted surprised by the way that the Toad that they had known had seemingly disappeared and was replaced by the man with the eyes shadowed and bruised from life. Turning his eyes back to the ground he turned around and lowered his head, "Whatever you wish, Master"  
  
He gestured at the car as he took something from his pocket "Serpent, put this on, retract those fangs, and get in the car right now."  
  
He handed Todd a small necklace that looked like dog tags. Todd looked at the small necklace and blanched, the Brotherhood not able to see what it said.  
  
Another stinging slap was delivered to his face as his father snapped out, "Hurry up Serpent, we have a haircut, clothes, and new accessories to pick up."  
  
Todd dropped the necklace around his neck and climbed into the car, they roared off leaving the Brotherhood openmouthed in a cloud of dust.  
  
Todd's POV  
  
I glance out the back window as the car I am now sitting in roars away. I pray silently to myself that somehow I will escape, but I know now that I am doomed, there is nothing I can do, he has taken me again.  
  
I fiddle with the tags around my neck and my father smirks at me, "I told you I would find you boy, you belong to me and you will never escape, I am your father and my power will always be far greater then yours."  
  
Suddenly I can't take it anymore and I look him in the eye, something I am never supposed to do and scream at him, my voice pitched far beyond what it usually is, "I will never belong to you... you asshole! I am myself and I will escape from thi...." My tirade is cut off by a heavy cuff to the back of my head from his hand.  
  
I feel my head spinning and as the darkness surrounds me the last thing I hear is my father, "Rest up slave, you will need it later." His harsh laughter follows me into the darkness. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Normal POV  
  
Silently the four mutants pulled up to the boarding house, each one mulling over what had just happened, keeping any worries they might have about the Toad to themselves. Lance put the jeep into park and was the first one to speak, "What the fuck just happened back there?"  
  
His words didn't quite seem to shock the others out of the daze they were in over what had just happened so he repeated himself, "What in all fuckin' hell did we just see?!"  
  
His nearly shouted question finally brought the others around to what he was asking. Pietro was the first one to venture any sort of response, "Whatever the hell it was, I didn't like it, I mean do any of us know anything about Todd's past?"  
  
He looked to the others for confirmation of what he already knew, the others all shook their heads, "The only one who knows anything about Todd is Mystique and it's not like we can simply call her up on the phone."  
  
This part was added somewhat sarcastically to hide the worry that Pietro actually held for the younger mutant, he was the youngest of the five and also had been with Mystique the longest.  
  
Freddy spoke up in his slow and deliberate manner, "The only thing I really know about Toad is that he doesn't like people to get close or touch him, and that he is afraid of storms."  
  
The others looked confused at Freddy's words, they obviously hadn't known these two facts, Lance spoke again, "What do you mean he doesn't like to be touched and is afraid of storms?"  
  
Freddy looked at him like he was dense, how could they have missed it? He explained, "Why do you think he doesn't shower or take care of himself? If he smells bad others won't come close to him or touch him, and we know he is afraid of storms because we found him curled under his bed during the last thunderstorm, remember? We made fun of him for days about that." The others nodded a little guiltily as they remembered giving the young mutant hell over that.  
  
As the four entered the boarding house Tabby spoke up, "Why don't we check his room, I mean he might have kept a journal or something, maybe we could get some answers from that, I mean since he totally left us in the dark."  
  
The others looked a little hesitant but they were just too confused and curious to tell her no. Seeing their reactions she headed up the stairs towards Toad's room.  
  
Todd's POV  
  
I came slowly out of unconsciousness and found myself in a large room, I heard a voice and looked over seeing my father in the corner of the room, "I see you are finally awake, good, why don't you come over to the mirror and look what we did to you?"  
  
I saw his smirk but it still didn't prepare me for what I saw in that mirror, my hair had been cut in short sharp spikes except for a few pieces that fell over my face emphasizing my now green and golden eyes, it had also been dyed a deep black setting off my pale skin.  
  
I sniffed and realized that someone must have bathed me because now I smelled of some expensive cologne that screamed lust, I shuddered at the smell. Finally my eyes came to rest on what I was now wearing, a tight black leather spiked choker/collar with a lock in the back with a tag and a ring in the front.  
  
Since I was staring in the mirror I couldn't tell if it said anything; I was also still wearing the tags my father had forced me to put on. My shirt was a sleeveless deep green silk that clung tightly to my thin frame with purposeful slits cut up the side and retied together, that would make it easier to remove.  
  
I noted the last part with purposeful detachment pretending that the person in the mirror was not me, merely another person. I glanced down and saw that I was wearing a spiked belt that matched the collar, also containing a lock in the back and a ring in the front.  
  
The pants were black leather and tight flaring down over a pair of black boots. I suddenly noticed that I was wearing matching wrist cuffs, spiked with rings in the front and locks in the back.  
  
I suddenly heard my father speak again, "So slave what do you think of your new attire, I think it suits you much better then the rags you were in when I found you, and you also were in desperate need of a bath."  
  
I glared at him hoping none of the fear I was feeling growing the pit of my stomach showed through. His eyes suddenly narrowed and he rose, "Remember my threat to your friends, when I speak to you, you will respond, and what are you thinking looking me in the eye like an equal?"  
  
He pressed a button that he had been holding in his hands and I felt a painful shock run through my body that emanated from the collar around my neck, making me whimper in pain. "Do you like that slave, if you want me to stop ask me."  
  
He smirked as I fell down before him, the pain washing over me in waves, "Please stop, Master"  
  
His smirk grew wider as he looked down on me, "What did you call me, you will need to speak up."  
  
The pain was growing more intense so I looked up from the floor, hissing the word from my mouth, "Master...."  
  
He released his hold on the button taking the immediate pain but leaving a dull ache all the way to my bones, he patted my head, "Good boy, you will behave yourself won't you?"  
  
Looking up I saw he expected an answer, "Yes Master." I whispered as he walked from the room locking the door behind him. Once he was gone I lay down on the floor curling into a ball and did something I haven't done in a long time, I sobbed. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
Normal POV at the boarding house  
  
Tabitha ran up the stairs towards Toad's room, she may not actually be a member of the brotherhood but the little guy was always nice to her so she thought she should at least find out where he had disappeared to hours ago. The guys followed more slowly, they were still a little nervous about actually invading his privacy like that, I mean they teased him but this was a little more then that.  
  
Before they even reached the door Tabitha was coming out holding a small black notebook, it was pretty beat up and torn in multiple places, "I found his journal, he didn't even try to hide it, either he doesn't care or he really trusted you guys not to read it."  
  
Tabitha mused on this idea as the others shifted nervously from foot to foot.  
  
Pietro was the first to speak, babbling in the hyper talk that happened when he was nervous or excited, "Soarewegoingtoreadthejournalorwhat?Shouldwereadit?Itispersonal"  
  
Lance interrupted him before he could continue, learning long ago how to decipher the large majority of what Pietro said, "Yeah, yeah, Tabby why don't you do the honors?"  
  
Lance bowed as he gestured towards the living room earning a smirk from Tabby, "Alrighty, lets see what this little dude had to say."  
  
Tabby opened the journal to the first page and began to read,  
  
August 19, 2000  
  
Dear Journal, (Tabby smirked at this predictable beginning and kept reading)  
  
It happened again, I don't think I will ever escape, I mean he holds my mothers life over my head like a damn trophy, I leave and ruin his business and my mother dies, what in the hell kind of choice is that?!  
  
Either I stay and eventually lose my soul or I lose the only person who has ever meant anything to me at all. I wish I could just end it and kill myself, slitting my wrists wouldn't be such a horrible way to go, but Reginald (I will never call him father again) is having me watched 24/7 I am much to valuable to him to die, I mean not only do I bring in good money, but I am his little experiment in genetic manipulation, It seems every time a power emerges it only makes my living life a little more like hell.  
  
Oh no, I can hear him coming down the hall, most likely to punish his slave (me) for something. Hopefully this time he will kill me, Goodbye journal.  
  
Serpent  
  
The others sitting on the couch were silent, unsure of what to say to what they had just heard in the entry before them, Tabby spoke very quietly, "That's the first entry it goes like that for awhile, we probably don't have time to go through all the entries...."  
  
Lance interrupted her, "Jump ahead a year" Tabby nods her head and looks for the right page finally finding it.  
  
August 19, 2001  
  
Dear Journal,  
  
I do believe that writing in you is one of the few things that is keeping me sane anymore. My powers are emerging one after another, however I wish they would simply disappear, these new powers merely make me a better target for Reginald, the one I have always hated the most is this tongue I have, long like a toad's, one of the few things that was part of my natural genetic blip, my X-gene, I believe is what he calls it.  
  
Not even to you journal can I describe the pain that the experiments inflict, the horrors that can be done to me with my new powers, it seems that I always hurt now. Oh another little note, my mother is dead, for some reason I cannot cry for her.  
  
She was the last thing here that I cared about, the last thing that held me tied here. She loved me, the only one that ever has and most likely ever will, the tears are coming now as I write, for her I must escape from this place.  
  
Escape, the word itself brings hope to my heart, if I am careful perhaps there will be a time for me to leave, to journey into a world I have never except through bars. I must go, but I will watch for every chance, and someday, I will leave.  
  
Serpent  
  
"We have to find Todd! If this is what he is writing in his journal then imagi..." Pietro's ramble was suddenly interrupted by the blaring of the telephone.  
  
Pietro leaped off the couch and ran over snatching it off the hook, "Hello?" Suddenly his face was lifted in a smile as he heard a familiar voice, "Hey, Todd, where the hell are you, we were getting worried." Pietro listened for a few minutes throwing in an occasional yes or nod of his head. He thed turned and gave a cheerful "goodbye."  
  
The rest of the Brotherhood was on the edge of their seats wondering what was up, Pietro turned around, and explained, "Todd said that him and his father have some things to work out and he will be back later."  
  
Lance still looked worried, "Are you sure it was Todd, I mean it didn't seem like he would actually stick around with his father after what we saw."  
  
Pietro just shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe they made up, anyway as long as that is solved I'm going upstairs." Pietro flew upstairs to his room and the rest of the brotherhood headed off in different directions, they all still had a feeling in the back of their head that something was not quite right, but they ignored it trusting the voice on the phone.  
  
Elsewhere....  
  
In a lavishly decorated office Reginald Hardwick hung up the phone and smiled darkly as he reverted back to normal, his sons friends has bought the story; hook, line, and sinker.  
  
It helped that he himself was a mutant and could change his voice to match anyone, even well enough to fool a voice print identifier. He gave a small chuckle as he watched the boy on the screen curl up in a ball and cry.  
  
His son had always had such pretty tears. He closed his eyes and smiled hugely as he enjoyed to the sounds of the sobs coming through the speakers in the room.  
  
Todd's POV  
  
Somehow during the night I had managed to fall asleep curled up on the floor in a ball. The sound of the door opening drew me out of my light sleeping, I looked up to see a man dressed in a white lab coat looking at me with cold eyes.  
  
I had forgotten just how much I hated the color white and this man brought all those bad memories back. My eyes went to behind the man when two large men came in, both of them held chains and their faces were twisted cruelly into large smirks as they looked at me.  
  
Suddenly the man in white spoke, "You are to call me Doctor and you are to come with me and my two colleagues" (the Doctor smirked as he motioned to the two lumbering men behind him) "right now, you can either come quietly or we can do this the hard way, either way you are coming with us."  
  
Hearing what he was saying had brought me fully out of my sleep state, I leapt up my strong legs bouncing me up quickly as I put on a face of utter hate as I glared at him. I finally found my voice and when I spoke it was in a low dangerous hiss that would of shocked everyone in Bayville, "Like hell I will come with you, you motherfu.....AAAAAAAAAAAAAA"  
  
My words quickly became a high scream as terrible pain again came from the collar around my neck, it was much worse then last time and the tears that started to gather in my eyes refused to stay there and started to fall down my face, I noticed then that the Doctor had the same remote that my father had, and was pressing the button hard watching me with nearly clinical detachment, I fell to the ground my legs no longer supporting me he spoke to the two behind him, "Lock those chains to the holds on his neck, wrists, and waist, and hold him tight ."  
  
The two muscle heads did just what he said and suddenly I was chained in a complicated manner starting at my neck, spiraling to my waist, to my hands and back to my neck, then the two of them grabbed my arms and pinned them to my sides, finally the man released the button and I whimpered as the shooting pains disappeared.  
  
Out of his pocket the doctor pulled a syringe and slowly tapped the side to make sure no air bubbles appeared. I struggled weakly but my strength had been sapped away. The Doctor walked over to me and jammed the large syringe into my elbow, I bit my lip to keep from crying out, not wanting to give him the pleasure.  
  
He quickly removes the needle after injecting me and sits the bed, the only piece of furniture in the room, "Just a little tricolyphyne to knock him out so we can get him to the room, we cannot afford any ill marks to mar him" I feel myself being pulled unwillingly back to the black abyss and I fall into it screaming in my mind as I disappear."  
  
Normal POV at the Xavier institute  
  
Professor Charles Xavier woke from a sound sleep swearing he had just heard a scream, he shuddered as he remembered what he had heard in the scream, pain, despair, and an utter sense of hopelessness. He sat up in the bed and stared out the window, it had just been a dream, hadn't it? 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
Todd's POV  
  
Slowly I opened my eyes groaning as bright lights greeted me as I awoke from my forced slumber, this getting knocked unconscious thing was becoming way to familiar, I nearly chuckled at that observation but held it in. All I could see was white, white walls, white ceiling, white floor, white table, white chairs, everything white.  
  
I tried to move off of the floor but found that I was chained to the ground in a kneeling position, the collar was chained directly in front of me forcing my head to look down at the ground or straight ahead, not up. My wrists were behind me, the two wristcuffs were connected by a chain that then wrapped around my waist securing the chain to the small loop in the front, the classic subservient slave position, I snorted at the unoriginality of it.  
  
I looked down and was startled to see that they had changed my clothes again, I too was wearing white, a pair of white chinos that were hung low on my waist and no shirt. My pale skin was accented by the colorless pants, and I know that was the plan all along.  
  
I was getting very angry and tried to release the fangs that wanted to lash out and strike, but even as I tried they would not come, I ran my tongue over my teeth and discovered that my two canines were capped, preventing the emergence of the fangs.  
  
Father had indeed done his research. I noticed a bruise marring my arm from the earlier injection and grimaced, it would be ugly healing.  
  
Suddenly the door opened and my father stepped inside: "Now gentlemen, let me show you the crowning achievement of our experiments, a true treasure in...multiple ways."  
  
My father stepped forward removing the dog tags from around my neck, "This is Kirei Serpentine (aka: Beautiful Serpent) and he has several points which would make him an excellent toy, remember though that he is mine first and foremost. If you will just step over here you will see my personal mark. He is 15 years, a virgin, unbroken, and relatively unscarred. His other talents are best explained later or demonstrated now."  
  
My father would never call me by my real name, or even the name I had chosen, always I was a description not a name. My father gestured the men over, I shuddered as I felt their gazes travel over my nearly naked body taking in all that they saw.  
  
A few came over and ran their hands down my chest feeling the slenderness of it, one looked at the few scars that littered my arms, others looked at my face examining the collar around my neck, like I was some horse for sale.  
  
A couple walked behind me examining the tattoo which was my father's idealized initials in red, surrounded by a black chain, it was located at the top of my right forearm, low enough that anyone would be able to see the bottom if I wore a t-shirt; I also deeply hated the memories that went with that tattoo.....  
  
Flashback, Normal POV  
  
A small boy, perhaps 6 or 7, clad only in a pair of green pajama bottoms and a thin leather collar is curled in the corner of yet another white room, this one containing a medical table, restraints, and machinery, it is also very chilly in the room. The boy's back is covered with lash marks, not quite deep enough to scar, and his arm looks like that of an addict, needle marks littering the veins.  
  
The door to the room is opened and three men step in, one of them, clad in a white lab coat, is holding a cart covered with instruments that the boy has not seen before. His father is the next to enter, obviously on his way to some meeting, dressed in a black suit with a black shirt and a blood red silk tie.  
  
The last man to enter makes the boy shudder in fear as he looks at him, he is a big man with blonde hair cut into a severe crew cut, harsh features and large hands holding a small chain with a clip on an end in one hand, and a large whip in the other. He steps in to the room and walks over to the small figure in the corner, "Get up freak, and go sit on that gurney." He points the medical exam table in the center of the room.  
  
The boy rises slowly and wraps his arms around himself as he trembles he mutters a soft, "Yes Sir" and walks over to the table sitting on the edge. "Lay down."  
  
The restraints were clasped tightly around the ankles and wrists pulling his arms up and taunt, and securing the strong legs. The chain that he was holding was then clasped to the collar at the neck and left to hang, it had no real purpose yet.  
  
His father watches the exchange and smiles at the large man, "John you have worked wonders with the brat, he always would have looked at me and refused, I must commend you on your tutelage." The other (John) gives him a dark smile, "Nothin' to it, Sir. Ya just got ta know how to handle da freaks."  
  
The man in the lab coat pulled out a long syringe and was checking it for air bubbles when his father noticed, "What is that for?" He snapped out at the man, who looked back over his shoulder when he answered, "It is a tranquilizer/anesthesia, if he moves while the markings go on he will ruin it, also since you want it right on a muscle it will hurt like hell...."  
  
Reginald smiled darkly as he looked at John, "I don't think that will be necessary doctor, John why don't you handle this?"  
  
John gave a salute as he walked to the top of the table and leaned down and pulled the chain to make the boy look in his eyes as he began to whisper so that only he could hear, "If you move at all, even a flinch or a grimace, I will make sure ur lessons with me run long tomorrow." He smirked and walked away as the boy's eyes grew wide and then closed and Reginald motioned the lab coat to begin.....  
  
End Flashback  
  
The other members of the brotherhood always wondered why I never wore t- shirts, tank tops, or went shirtless, even at the beach, this mark was the reason and I despised the man above me all the more for it.  
  
I noticed a change to my father's body posture as he asked the men to step back for a moment, "Now I will show you what is perhaps the best feature of this slave, Serpent open your mouth."  
  
I obeyed because I truly had no other choice and let my long tongue roll from its resting place, I heard gasps of amazement from the assembled men; I couldn't see their faces but I felt their lust roll off them in waves, disgusting me as I tried to turn off the natural sensitivity of my snake self.  
  
My father stepped behind me and rested a hand on my head as he spoke again, "I am sure that you can all imagine what a tongue like this can do, especially with the training that he has already had, all his other abilities, some of which are listed and others to be demonstrated to the buyer as they are quite amazing"  
  
(I shudder knowing what abilities he means and I remember past pain from other experiments and demonstrations) "I will demonstrate some later, as he will be serving us as we conclude the deal, so gentlemen shall we continue the tour?" I could hear the voice of my father fade as he led the men out of the room.  
  
I was left alone, still chained kneeling, with only my fathers last secretly whispered words in my ears, "I will be back later my slave...."  
  
Normal POV  
  
Professor Charles Xavier sat in the main office of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters with a deep look on his face as he looked out the large bay window that stretched across most of the office. Suddenly he was startled out of his contemplation by a harsh rap at the doors, he called out a brief, "Enter."  
  
The doors swung open and Logan strolled in, it was rare for him to knock, so Xavier knew he had to have something on his mind and he waited for him to begin, it didn't take long, "Hey Chuck, you seemed out of it this morning at breakfast and the danger room, is something up?"  
  
Xavier chuckled under his breath, Logan was the only person he knew who could ask a question like that while still appearing, for all intensive purposes, like he had just asked about the weather or the sports report. "Nothing is wrong Logan, my mind seems to be preoccupied today, that is all."  
  
Logan leaned against the door frame as he stared at the Professor, it took a lot to distract the Professor, so something was definitely not right with the situation, "What has your mind so preoccupied, if I may ask?" Logan quirked his lips as he did a decent impression of the Professor's usual leading questions.  
  
The Professor recognized what Logan was doing and chuckled under his breath, until he felt a stabbing pain take away his breath. He clutched his head as waves of emotions crashed into him, shame, fear, pain, humiliation, and perhaps the most disturbing, a sense of resignation to it, a sense of it being deserved.  
  
All of a sudden it disappeared and the Professor looked up to see Logan had moved right next to him, with what passed for a worried expression on his face, "What happened?"  
  
The Professor sighed, resigning himself to having to explain since Logan had just witnessed it. "Logan I do not fully know who, as yet, but someone whose brain I have gone into is either consciously or unconsciously sending me emotions, they feel very familiar but also very different at the same time, I am extremely concerned."  
  
Logan leaned on the desk resting a hip on the edge, "Is there anything we can do? You've had contact with a hell of a lot of people, am I right in guessin' it's a mutant?"  
  
The Professor nodded his head, "Yes it is most definitely a mutant and male, but that is all I can tell."  
  
Logan rose from the edge of the desk and walked towards the double doors, "Chuck, as soon as you figure out anything else, we can go after whomever it is."  
  
As he strode out the doors the Professor called out to him, "Logan, I know one more thing, whomever this turns out to be, is in a place I would never want anyone to be, enemy or ally."  
  
Logan nodded realizing the seriousness of what the Professor had just said, he left the room heading to the kitchen, and the Professor went back to looking out the window feeling deep sorrow and pity for the boy behind the feelings.  
  
At the Boarding House  
  
Lance stumbled out of his room, barely coherent from the small amount of sleep that he was able to grasp after the excitement of yesterday. He noticed that the others were not in much better shape then he was, except for Pietro, whose worries disappeared as fast as he did, and Tabby, who was currently no where to be seen.  
  
Lance made an effort to speak grunting a question at Pietro as he poured a cup of coffee, "Where is Tabby? Is Todd back yet?"  
  
Pietro looked up from the paper where he had been contemplating the comics and answered him, "Tabby is out, probably causing destruction somewhere, and Todd is still gone."  
  
Fred was the last to speak, a worried expression across his soft features, "Y'all I'm worried about the little Toad, I mean where in the hell would he still be at? It really is not normal for him at all, and I keep having this bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, I can't even eat!!!!"  
  
Lance and Pietro looked up immediately stunned into silence by the turn of events, if the Blob couldn't eat, then something was definitely wrong, I mean he was the Blob!  
  
Pietro spoke up again, "Are you getting that feeling as well? I have been trying to ignore it since I got up, something was just not right when I got up, though I can't say what exactly."  
  
Lance nodded his head confirming the strange suspicion he also had been harboring since he awoke, "If we want to find Todd, then we are gonna need some help, and you know the only person who can find Todd is........"  
  
Pietro interrupted Lance immediately, "There is no way in hell that we are running to the X-geeks for help, I mean what the hell do you think Magneto and Mystique would say..."  
  
"But they aren't here are they Pietro, and we have no way to get in contact with them!"  
  
This last statement effectively shut up Pietro so he simply glared at Lance, "Alright Lance, we will go and ask for their help, but no nicey- nicey teammate shit."  
  
Lance shuddered at the mere thought of having to coexist with Summers and the other goody two-shoes, though a few, especially the younger mutants weren't that bad, so he readily agreed.  
  
With them agreed upon the course of action, they ordered Fred to stay at the boarding house just in case Toad actually came home, though that was getting less and less likely. After a few final instructions, Lance and Pietro left the boarding house headed towards the last place they ever thought they would be headed. 


	6. Chapter 6

Chap 6 = Telepathic thoughts for chapter 6 (Professor X) or mental thoughts (Todd)  
  
Normal POV  
  
Tabby stood in front of the Iron gates of the Institute, wondering if she really was doing the right thing. I mean the Professor would be able to find Toady-boy with that Cerebro thing, right?  
  
She sighed, why in the hell was she hesitating to either ring the buzzer or blow open the gate?! She gave a heavier sigh as she acknowledged she knew why she didn't want to proceed, what if they turned her away?  
  
A small thought popped up in her head, "What if they refuse to help us find him, I mean isn't he still technically the enemy, even if they don't really work for Magneto anymore?" Tabby shook off her indecision and straightened her shoulders as she scolded herself in her head.  
  
Pietro and Lance watched Tabby scold herself silently while they walked toward the Institute. Lance was the first to call out to her, "Hey Tabby, Whatcha doin' here?" T  
  
abby had been so deep into her self analysis that she hadn't even noticed the two boys walking up to her, her head jerked up as she turned around an smirked at them, "Obviously the same thing you two are doing here, where's Blob?"  
  
Pietro responded after suddenly appearing in front of the gate, "We left him back at the boarding house just in case, I mean he isn't exactly Mr. Diplomacy." Tabby snorted as she looked at the speed demon standing in front of her, "Like you and Rocky here are?"  
  
As Lance was about to respond the three heard a voice in their head, the two Brotherhood members looked shocked but Tabby was used to it after her time at the institute, the Professor had always preferred getting them together using telepathy. Could you three please come up to the main house? I can tell we have much to discuss.  
  
The wrought iron gate in front of the three teens slowly opened and they walked up the long winding path with equal amounts of nervousness, trepidation, and hope.  
  
The Professor, Storm, and Wolverine met the three at the door; obviously they were on their territory now, and out of their element. Lance elected himself as leader since the other two seemed rooted to the spot and stepped forward, he swallowed his pride as he began to speak, "We need your help."  
  
Pietro nervously bounced his foot and Lance suddenly found his shoes very interesting as the two brotherhood members and one former X-girl awaited the expected rejection. Instead what they found was them being ushered into the main office, luckily all the X-Men where off somewhere, so there was no one to see the enemy enter the base.  
  
Wolverine and Storm stood on either side of the desk while the Professor took his position behind it, "So, what is going on that would make you three come here for help?"  
  
He looked at the teenagers as Wolverine put in his two cents, he growled low in his throat, "This had better not be some trick, because if it is, it ain't gonna work."  
  
Tabby looked up at the older X-Man she snapped as she gestured to the Professor, "C'mon Badger, doncha think that he would know if we were here on some ulterior mission."  
  
Wolverine growled again but was silenced by Lance, "Look, we came here because we have no where else to turn and know that you are one of the few who would be able to help us, now will you?"  
  
Lance sat back in the chair as he waited for a response from one of the three, Storm was the first to respond, "Why don't you tell us what the problem is first?"  
  
Lance nodded and sat forward as he began to tell the tale of why they were there...  
  
Todd POV  
  
How long have I been here, seconds, minutes, hours? There is no clock or window, nothing to tell me anything, just this bright, glaring, surrounding whiteness. I growl at myself mentally as I shake my head, Goddamnit Todd, hold yourself together, you can survive!!!!  
  
I just kept repeating this mantra to myself over and over and maybe I might start to believe it. I look up as I hear the door creak open, I have to hold myself rigid or else I know that I would shudder in fear of what is coming.  
  
I glance up as far as I can with the restraints recognizing the expensive suit and shoes of my father, I hear him start to speak as he walks over and starts to pet my hair, "You behaved very well today, my little serpent. My buyers were most interested in breaking you, but I said that for the first time, the pleasure should be all mine, as you do belong to me."  
  
He moves his hands down off my hair as he unlocks the neck restraint and puts one hand under my chin pushing my head up to look at him.  
  
I try to shy away from the dark pools of hate that I know will be there, but he stops me and pulls me into a brutal kiss, biting my lower lip so hard that it starts to drip blood down my chin, I whimper in pain as he pulls back and whispers, "If you are good I may allow you some pleasure from this, obey me or I will make sure you suffer."  
  
I can no longer hold back the shudders as they course through my body; pain, fear, and a dying of the hope I have always felt. I desperately hide away a little of myself, to save some of who I am.  
  
The restraints on my wrists and waist are slowly undone, or rather being repositioned; once they were pulled away I immediately tried to push the man in front of me away. I looked down as I felt a sharp sting in my lower arm, he had used the opportunity to inject me with something.  
  
I start to feel dizzy and out of place as a dark smile appears on his face, he grabs my hair and pulls me in close growling harshly in my ear, "We can't have you fighting on the way to my room, can we my pet? Now stand!"  
  
I can feel my body obeying his words even as I fight within my mind, it is like I am no longer in control of my own body, I am merely a voice in an empty vessel. I can feel him quickly clip a brightly colored chain to the collar around my neck. "Come pet, it is time for us to go." Even as my mind screams out in agony and denial my body meekly follows his commands, no longer my own.  
  
As we walk down a long hallway I can hear his voice floating back to me, saying things that make wells of tears appear in my eyes, luckily I am able to blink them back; I don't want to give him that satisfaction. "So serpent, do your enhanced gifts still work? We shall have to test them out won't we? It will be much fun for me, but I would assume it will hurt like hell."  
  
I can hear the low chuckle that I hate so much. Never have I understood how my own father can hate me so much, it can't be because I am a mutant because I know for a fact that he is one as well. I can hear my voice whisper out a plaintive, "Why?"  
  
My father stops dead in his tracks and turns around, hate heating his cold eyes, "What did you say?"  
  
I whisper again, a little stronger this time, "Why Father, why do you hate me so?"  
  
The flames of hatred in his eyes burned brighter then a thousand suns, I wanted to turn my head away, but I could merely stare blankly into the bonfire that burned in those pools of black.  
  
He suddenly hissed out an answer as he stepped toward me, "Because you are a mistake, a stupid mistake made by a stupid woman, if it were not for you Leliya would never have found out I was a mutant." His voice morphed and changed into one I remembered only in dreams, my mother's "Dear God Reginald, what have you done? How could you want to get rid of our son? I don't care if he is a mutant, he is my blood!"  
  
I noticed he let the voice drop as he continued, I was thankful I had hated hearing the voice I loved out of a man I despised. "The stupid bitch didn't seem to understand the fact that if people knew I was a mutant it would ruin me! She used that fact against me and forced me to keep you, though it may have been good for you turned out useful in the experiments I was having conducted. Maybe I should have thanked her, oh well, I was glad when she finally died; it took to long and then you got loose. But you are back now and there is no one here to stop me, you are mine now, FOREVER." With this he turned back around and continued walking down the hall my shell following him as my heart wept for a woman only remembered in fantasies. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chap. 7  
  
Normal POV  
  
The assembled brotherhood members stood outside the heavy metal door that led to Cerebro, the one thing that might be able to find Todd for them. Lance's eyes were closed, obviously tired from the long story he had told earlier, he hadn't left out any details, no matter how small.  
  
Tabby was standing next to him tossing a small glowing marble between her hands; she knew how Cerebro worked and was anxious to find out if the Professor was going to be able to locate Todd, one of the few people she felt any connection to at all.  
  
Tabby had never really fit in with any of the X-men, except maybe for Kurt and Rogue, the rest of them had all come from good families who had never forced them to steal or do other things to get money. They just couldn't understand where she came from; Todd, on the other hand, knew what it was like to survive on your own, stealing when you have to.  
  
She was pretty sure that was true about his life, even if everything he had told them about what came before was fake. She continued thinking along these lines, careful with the small ball of energy in her hands.  
  
Pietro, never one for standing still, was bouncing one foot sporadically as he stared across the hall at the two X-men who were also waiting for the Professor; Storm had decided to wait and see if it was possible for the Professor to locate Todd before going to the other X-men, Logan was still suspicious of the two brotherhood members and made no attempts to hid his blatant hostility.  
  
Before the tension in the hallway could stagnate further the heavy metal door to Cerebro opened and the Professor appeared with a odd look of confusion on his face; "I have located Todd, however, it is not the mutant signature I normally would identify with him, it is completely different."  
  
Storm looked over at him with a look of surprise on her face, "What does that mean Professor, how can a mutant signature change?" The professor sighed as he tried to explain the dynamics of it, "Basically a mutant becomes adept at hiding certain aspects of their mutation so that it is not picked up by Cerebro when we first come in contact with them."  
  
Pietro, bored quickly, spoke up, "Well, you said that you located him, where is he?"  
  
The professor looked over at the speedy youth, "He is in New York, a small mansion on the outskirts of the city, you will need assistance if you wish to retrieve him. They have very heavy security."  
  
Tabby was the first to speak before either of the boys could erupt in anger, "How about Rogue and Kurt? I mean Rogue knows Todd probably as well as you guys do, maybe even better, they seemed really close at one time. Kurt will help if I ask, I mean he is my friend and will help me rescue my friends if it really was important to me."  
  
The professor leaned back in his chair as he considered Tabby's proposal, "Well, Tabitha that is an excellent suggestion which I believe we should take you up on."  
  
The fire in the two teenagers eyes died down as they realized they didn't have to ask all of the perfect little mutants for help; they only had to ask the two who possibly had a clue about what it was like in the real world.  
  
Logan merely gave a low growl as assent of what Tabby proposed, it did make the most sense. Storm also was shocked by the quick thinking of a girl they had long underestimated. Lance merely smirked and slung an arm around her shoulder, he knew she was very intelligent and that she also hid it from others; it was something they had in common. The three adults and the three teenagers left the metal hallway, headed to collect a team to rescue Toad.  
  
Todd POV  
  
My father finally stopped outside a large metal door, it was different from the other rooms in the complex because it not only required a voice print and code to get in, but it also required one to get out. "Obviously a modification that was made specifically for my benefit. "  
  
I noticed sarcastically in my mind. I watched as my father punched in a code and gave a voice print reading; because of his mutation his voice has the most unique sound waves, they could not be duplicated by man or machine; basically meaning there was no way in hell I was getting out of the room on my own. The heavy door swung open and he pulled me into the room, the opulence of which wasn't surprising, he had always believed the richer the better.  
  
My father stood off to the side and let me examine the room; the walls were painted a rich burgundy, the floor was covered in a shag carpet that nearly went up to my ankles, almost in the same shade as the walls. In the center of the floor there was a large Persian rug, which the bed rested upon. I ignored the bed for now, since it was the point of focus in the room, it was situated right in the center of the floor.  
  
I let my eyes drift over to the heavy mahogany desk and wardrobe which were in the corners. There was also a door on the side that I saw led into a bathroom decorated in similar style. Finally I looked back to the bed. It was a large four poster mahogany bed with a gold canopy and gold and burgundy beddingit was covered in pillows and the two columns at the top of the bed had small rings built into them.  
  
There were no windows and only the two doors; all in all it was a rather expensive, rather lavish cage. There wasn't even a clock, so I could be in here for days or weeks and never know.  
  
I saw him smirk as he saw me finish my appraisal of the room, the drugs in my system were short term, so I could do some things of my own accord, but nothing that would go against whatever he told me to do. "So, 'Todd' what do you think of your new accommodations, much better then your previous hole, aren't they?"  
  
My blood boiled at him addressing me by that name, that was the name of my freedom, of my life beyond him. My eyes burned as I turned to look at him, "Never call me by that name" I hissed this with all the venom flowing through my veins, though it still sounded rather weak in my drugged condition.  
  
He stepped closer and put one hand under my chin tilting my face up to look into his; I could feel his warm breath on my face as he spoke, "And what pray tell, would you do about it my little Todd? In your state you will do whatever I tell you, nothing more, nothing less."  
  
Proving his point he again crushed his mouth to mine biting my lower lip and reopening the small wounds on it, licking the blood as it flowed out of the lip. I shivered violently as he did, unable to do more then curse him in my mind due to the venom racing throughout my system.  
  
As his hands started to slide down my chest there was a loud knock at the door; I don't think I have ever been more thankful for anything in my life. He scowled as he proceeded to let me go and I quickly moved away from him, curling up in an empty corner of the room. He smiled at my reaction as he pressed a button on the intercom that connected my cage to the outside world. "I thought I said I wasn't to be bothered..."  
  
Before he could finish he was interrupted by a voice from the other side. "Sir, there is a large, high tech aircraft approaching at high speeds, they appear to be headed this way, we are able to read eight mutant signatures within the plane. What should we do?"  
  
My father smirked at me as he listened to the man on the other side, "It seems your 'rescue party' has arrived, we should go greet them." Saying this he turned back to the intercom, "Do not make any threatening movements until they land, I will greet them at the door personally with my new pet, is that understood?"  
  
A faint "Yes Sir" was uttered from the other side and my father turned back to me, "Obviously a change in attire is appropriate don't you agree?"  
  
My body is still under his control so I am able to ask a question, "What is happening, what will you do?"  
  
Regally, as if holding court he sits down on the bed and looks down at me, "Well, if you behave I will convince them to leave and not hurt them, however, if you insist on asking for help imagine the manpower you have seen so far multiplied by ten and all attacking your 'rescuers'. I need to go change, there are clothes laid out in the closet for you, change into them and I will be back, either you behave and accept your fate, or your friends die, it really is your choice."  
  
Saying this my father let himself out of the room and let the door slam behind him. I kept hearing the words "your friends die, your friends die...." over and over in my head. I stood up making my way over to the closet and beginning to dress as I slowly allowed Todd to slip away, and allowed Kirei Serpentine to emerge and take control, perhaps for forever. I  
  
whispered a soft "goodbye" as I watched Todd slip away; as if he had never existed at all. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
  
Okay, just to get rid of any confusion about this chapter, Kirei is the slave persona that Todd has adopted over the years to help him cope, so sometimes he may be referred to as Kirei and that is still Todd, just a different side of Todd.  
  
Normal POV  
  
Nervously, the two brotherhood members sat in the X-jet, Lance had never been very good in planes, and Pietro just felt very outnumbered with the Professor, Storm, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and Rogue all there.  
  
Tabby had situated herself on Lance's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she curled up for a nap, Lance had in turn wrapped his arms around her waist holding her so she wouldn't fall.  
  
He noticed that he was getting suspicious looks from all the other X-men so he decided to just get it out I in the open, "Alright, is there something you want to ask me?"  
  
The X-men were startled that he had started the conversation, like usual Logan was the first to recover and he scowled as tersely voiced the first question, "What in the hell is up between you and Boom-Boom, Rocky?"  
  
Lance softly ran a hand over Tabby's sleeping head, she purred and snuggled closer, and he smiled as he answered, "We have a lot more in common then you will ever know Badger, a lot more then that Kitty and I ever did. What we grew up doing, were forced to do, was the only way we could survive. The streets are not a pleasant place to grow up, and foster homes are not much better. That's pretty much the story for the entire brotherhood."  
  
Kurt quickly threw out another question, obviously not worried about getting Lance annoyed, "What about Pietro, he's got a father and a family......." Kurt was cut off as Pietro started laughing hysterically and Lance threw a worried glance over at him, praying he was okay, an emotional breakdown in front of the X-Men was not what they needed right now.  
  
Pietro stopped laughing and his face grew hard and cold, it was at that moment you could see the resemblance to Magneto, "Father? I don't have a father, I have a commander general who disappears and reappears in my life when it suits him. Wanda and I never saw the man until he came and threw her in the mental hospital, after that I didn't see him until the whole thing with Evan. My foster father was a bastard and I hope he dies."  
  
Lance quickly put a hand on Pietro's arm knowing what he was talking about, and he knew that he had not meant to disclose that much. Pietro just closed his eyes, the stupid questions forcing his to remember things that were better left alone.  
  
The two X-Men looked startled at the intimacy of the gesture that Lance displayed towards Pietro, it was familial, like an older brother comforting a sibling. Lance glared at them daring them to comment on his display, they looked away from the ferocity of the glare.  
  
Xavier closed his eyes and rubbed his temple as he looked over at the two brotherhood members. They were broadcasting rather loudly and the information was not at all what he needed to see, painful and bloody images were never pleasant.  
  
Suddenly Wolverine's voice was heard over the loudspeaker for the whole cabin, "We're landing, everybody strap in"  
  
Todd POV  
  
I was just putting the final touches on when I heard the heavy metal door to my room make a hissing noise and swing inward and my father enter a few feet into the room looking at me, "I see you have decided to be a good slave and obey your master, well come over here and let me see you  
  
I let my eyes drop to the floor as I let Kirei come out and take control; I then turned and stepped right in front of Master. Dark green leather pants showed off my long legs and slim waist, accenting the waist with another spiked black metal belt around it. I hadn't been allowed to take off the wristcuffs or the collar so those had remained firmly in place as I changed.  
  
The shirt was a smooth expensive cotton, soft and flowing it fell down over my chest, unbuttoned halfway, and sleeveless to show off the tattoo on my arm. It was just barely reaching the top of the pants, flipping to show small glimpses of white porcelain abs. I had remained barefoot, there were no shoes in the closet because I would rarely if ever leave this house.  
  
I could hear Master nearly purr as he looked over the outfit I had picked out of the closet, "I knew those clothes would fit you perfectly, its too bad I do not have more time to truly enjoy them."  
  
He trailed a reluctant finger down my cheek and attached a black leather leash that matched the collar to my neck, "I had your 'friends' accompanied to the sitting room, you will behave yourself, right Kirei?" Saying this he put his hand under my head tilting my eyes to meet his.  
  
I nodded as best I could while saying, "Yes Master, I will be good."  
  
He smirked and turned tugging the leash for me to follow him, I do so meekly, quietly walking in the way of the invisible. When we reached the sitting room doors Master stopped turning back to me; I halted and stood still my hands clasped in front of me, not fidgeting a muscle.  
  
He leaned in and whispered in my ear softly, "Remember my warning, I will kill them in a moment if you do not behave Kirei. Know your place and they will get on fabulously."  
  
Pinning me to the doors he quickly leaned in to take my mouth, I didn't move letting him ravage my mouth inside and out before he let me go, and turned to the doors opening them. I submerged Todd as far as could as the heavy doors began to swing open....  
  
Normal POV  
  
Nervously Pietro fiddled with his hair, it felt very odd to be sitting in a grand waiting room as if they were honored guests waiting for the master of the house rather then a rescue team for a missing comrade.  
  
It was obvious that Lance and Tabby shared his cynicism when it came to the fact that something was obviously going on, and whatever it was wasn't good, there was guards standing outside the doors, unobtrusive but watchful, they had yet to make a movement.  
  
Wolverine was pacing back and forth behind one of the large plush couches much like a caged animal; occasionally he would throw a glance at the guards at the door daring them to make a move, almost hoping they would so he could have some entertainment. He never was a patient man.  
  
The two X-men sat nervously on the edge of a couch opposite that of the brotherhood, they didn't exactly know what to make of the situation. An assault when they entered was what they expected, not to be politely invited in and offered a seat; it just wasn't the way things were supposed to be done.  
  
Professor Xavier sat in the corner observing the situation, even his brow was furrowed in interest, they had known they were coming and yet showed no fear or trepidation, the whole situation was quite perplexing.  
  
All the heads in the room swiveled to the door as they heard it opening, it seemed they were finally going to meet who had set the whole thing up.  
  
A tall man, obviously wealthy stepped into the room, dropping a piece of leather he was holding in his hand. He inclined his head as he looked at the assorted mutants, "I apologize for making you wait, may I get you something to drink before we talk?"  
  
All those in the room shook their heads, he nodded but continued talking, "Well then I hope you don't mind if I have something, I am a little parched."  
  
Walking towards a large armchair at the head of the room he called over his shoulder, "Kirei, get me a scotch, on the rocks."  
  
Quiet footsteps were heard entering the room by Logan first and a vaguely familiar scent assaulted his nostrils, he heard Lance, Pietro, and Tabby whisper a shocked. "Todd!"  
  
In shock those in the room watched the silent teen pour a scotch on the rocks and bring it over to the man sitting in the chair; he knelt down before him and presented the drink. Touching his cheek the man whispered a quiet, "Good Kirei" and turned to the group.  
  
Kirei knelt by his legs, his head bowed, eyes down on the floor, and his arms crossed behind his back; the man ran his fingers through the short hair as he waited for something out of the assembled party.  
  
"I see you have noticed my slave, he is rather pretty when he is all cleaned up isn't he? I rather think so." A smirk appeared on his face as he watched dark looks flit across the faces of the others in the room.  
  
Professor Xavier was the first one to speak and he couldn't quite contain the shock on his face, "What have you done to Todd Tolansky? This is not the boy we all know."  
  
The others in the room nodded as a cold laugh came from the man in the chair, "I merely reclaimed my property, Todd Tolansky never existed, this boy at my side has no record of his existence in any computer system in the world, he has nothing I do not give him." Looking down at the submissive boy at his feet he instructed him to turn to the side and show the others in the room his proof of ownership.  
  
A very soft, "Yes, Master" was heard and the teen turned to the side showing a complicated tattoo decorating his arm, "This boy has been marked as my property since he was seven years old, and the collar around his neck is my control of him, though he has been behaving very well."  
  
Grabbing the leash that had been left hanging from his neck he pulled Kirei down into his lap. Wrapping his arm around Kirei's chest he stroked the inside upper thigh of the small mutant. The boy in his lap merely let himself be petted as he looked the perfect picture of submission.  
  
The others in the room paled, the gesture indicated a type of familiarity they did not want to think about; it was gesture used by someone who knew another's body intimately, a lover.  
  
Wolverine growled, there was certain things he couldn't stand, and the broken way the teen was acting was definitely one of them, the smell that was hitting his nose from the man in the chair was lust, not a smell he wanted to have assault him. "Well, if that isn't Todd Tolansky, who is he? He sure as hell ain't Peter Pan."  
  
A laugh low and dark came from the chair as the man, "This pretty creature is Kirei, and at one time was known as Todd Tolansky, however, as you can see, that teen is gone, leaving a lovely broken toy in his place." Sweeping his gaze over all the mutants he stood, Kirei falling off his lap to kneel by his feet again. "I really must thank you, I was never able to truly break the boy when he was young, but it seems that you did the job for me." His gaze stopped on the Professor, "You can stop trying to get into my head, I have excellent shields, and you are the one I mean to thank especially, along with the other X-men."  
  
The Professor looked startled at the fact he had been able to feel his mind trying to search the depths of his consciousness. It was not usual that someone could be able to keep him out of their mind, even from a distance.  
  
They watched as he leaned down and pulled Kirei's chin up to whisper in his ear, the harsh whispered echoed off the walls so that everyone could hear it; "Go wait for me in the room, it will let you in, and I expect you to know what I want when I come in."  
  
Standing Kirei walked towards the door which was suddenly blocked by Pietro, who had simply had enough; he grabbed the smaller boy by the shoulders trying to get him to look at him, "Where the hell are you going Todd? We are here to take you home, Lance and Tabby and I all came, we even went to the freakin' X-geeks for you, and your going to walk out." Pulling Todd towards him he continued in a whisper, "Sorry about this, you'll thank us later."  
  
Lance appeared behind Todd, knocking him out swiftly, sweeping him up into his arms quickly, "Goddamnit, he must only weigh like 95 lbs.! Have you even fed him?" Lance shouted this at the man across from them.  
  
A small smile appeared on his face, "My buyers prefer if he is small, it is easier to force a weakling, isn't it? You can take him now, but he is truly broken he will come back to me willingly for I am all he deserves, all he believes he can have."  
  
With a quick tap the man disappeared through a bookcase behind him before Wolverine could shred him like it was obvious he wanted to; a deep growl from Wolverine indicated his displeasure, "C'mon, I expect you three will be staying at the mansion for awhile?" The three conscious brotherhood members looked at each other and nodded, they would need help with this new Todd.  
  
Pietro spoke up, his voice soft as he looked at the boy he considered a younger brother, "I assume that this means you will have to tell the other X-men? Professor, I believe we will need your help, especially if he is truly broken...."  
  
Lance cut him off before he could say something he didn't want to say, "We should go, we need to get him back and out of these clothes." He headed out the doors, oddly they weren't stopped by any guards as they continued towards the X-jet, all casting looks at the pale lithe body lying curled in Lance's arms. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
  
Todd POV  
  
It's dark, much to dark, I hate the dark it always consumes me, overtakes me; stealing away any life I might have made and dumping me back into a place that I never should have had to go back to. Not only that but I had let Kirei take over again, it has been a long time since I let Kirei take over for any length of time.  
  
If things keep going the way they are going, I doubt I will ever come out, I don't want to face the world, even if the others do come, how could I ever look them in the eyes again? I'm dirty, filthy, just a mutant toy for others to use.  
  
Sitting in my corner I can still see through Kirei's eyes, and I can feel a presence on my side; great my mind has split yet again, that's the last thing I need, yet another personality to confuse things.  
  
Perhaps it would help if I explained; well, there's me, Todd Tolansky, the one who escaped and made a new life, found some semblance of a home. Then there's Rupert, he's only like 3 or 4, and he never comes out, his walls are so thick and high I'm not even fully sure he's even in there any more; he is the person we were before our father started training us. He's the reason I am so afraid of touch and storms, two things that I cannot seem to get past no matter how hard I try. Then of course, there is Kirei, he is our pretty shell, the perfect little slave obeying any order given, never disobeying; he has been inactive for awhile since we escaped, but I have given over control to him, and you know I don't know if I really want to take it back. He's also the one with perfect English, ya know? He never says yo like I do, another thing that would drive a man like my father up a wall.  
  
If I'm not mistaken I believe I just felt another personality appear, I can't fully tell what sort of shape this one is gonna take, but ya know I don't think I even care; it feels nice to just drift in this darkness and let Kirei do the hard work. All I gotta do is sit back and watch it; no pain, no hurt, no stupid looks of pity from the X-geeks.  
  
Woah, looks like Kirei is waking up, I better lock the door a little tighter, I really don't know if I ever want to come back out, and that professor dude could come in and get me, these walls better be a lot stronger then they look, yo.  
  
Normal POV  
  
The assembled party of Hank, Logan, Professor, Lance, Pietro, and Tabby were all clustered in the medical wing of the Institute, wondering when Todd would choose to wake up. Once they had gotten him back to the institute the professor had immediately called Hank to look over the small mutant, Todd was currently lying on the medical table in a pair of loose sweatpants.  
  
Hank shook his head sadly as he looked at the various track marks on Todd's arms, "These are from years of abuse Professor, this kid has had needles of every sized rammed into his veins, I'm surprised they haven't collapsed yet."  
  
Logan gestured to the collar and wristcuffs, "Can't we take those damn things off, that is the last thing he needs to wake up and feel." Hank nodded his head vigorously as he went to pick the locks on the wristcuffs; he was stopped by a quick movement from Pietro, "NO! You better leave those on, if you take them off and he wakes up without them he is gonna have a major panic attack and that is the last thing he needs. On top of that I bet you anything that collar has a shock chip in it."  
  
Hank looked at the teenager curiously, "How on earth could you possibly know that, we don't know what his reaction would be!"  
  
Lance stepped next to Pietro, his eyes betraying things that no teenager should ever see, "Just listen to us, we know what will happen, and you don't want him to injure himself further by bouncing all over the place!"  
  
Hank backed away, and Logan growled, "What is that thing on his arm, it looks like some sort of tattoo."  
  
Lance looked more closely at the mark on Todd's arm, "It is an identifier mark." He pointed to the small initials inside the wire, "This says who he belongs to, it means he is taken."  
  
The professor looked at Pietro and Lance with a curious expression on his face, "If I may ask, how did you know what it is? Also how do you what will happen if we remove those cuffs?"  
  
Lance and Pietro looked at eachother before turning to the professor, Lance was the once who spoke, "When you grow up on the streets and in back alleys you learn lots of details about the shadier side of life."  
  
Pietro nodded and snorted at the statement, "As well as spending the majority of your time avoiding the sleaze who perpetuated the trade, pretty young boys are especially prized, if they are a mutant it is just an extra bonus as long as you are controllable."  
  
The professor looked between the two young men with his eyebrows furrowed, "I thought you two both grew up on foster care."  
  
Pietro unconsciously rubbed his chest as his eyes glazed over a little, "Let's just say that they weren't the nicest people in the world."  
  
Lance nodded his head rubbing his wrist drawing the attention of the professor to a scar that just peaked out over his gloves going over his wrists; "Having a freak of a foster kid was not what they were exactly planning on getting, and trust me they let me know that."  
  
Tabby wrapped her arms around Lance from behind, looking at the professor, "Professor you know my father and my childhood, well compared to these two I was a positively spoiled child."  
  
Lance spun Tabby around so that she was leaning against his front with her head resting on his shoulder and his arms encircling her, "I'm sorry my Tabby cat I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." Tabby smiled softly at Lance and kissed him on his nose, "It's okay, let's just concentrate on Todd, okay?" Pietro and Lance both nodded pulling themselves from their own memories and concentrating their energy on helping a member of their true family come back to them.  
  
At this moment the small figure lying on the table began to stir, everyone in the room immediately clustered around the table. Two empty eyes opened and glanced anxiously around the room a soft whimper coming from his mouth, "Master?"  
  
The professor was the first one to speak, "Todd, that man isn't here, you are at the Xavier Institute in the medical wing, do you understand?"  
  
The slight mutant sat up on the table looking around him in wide eyed astonishment at the vast amounts of technology that adorned the medical lab. Cocking his head to the side he answered the professor in a small voice high and much like a child's; very different for the normally brash voice of Toad, all while gesturing at the congregated mutants in the room, "Who are you Sir, and Who is Todd?" 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
  
Normal POV  
  
Everyone in the room gaped as the innocent words came from the boy's mouth, what was going on? The professor was the first to recover from the shock, "If you are not Todd who are you?"  
  
The small figure on the table shrugged his shoulders sitting up pert and straight backed, "I have many names; my Master left me with you so I am what you name me Sir."  
  
The professor shook his head vigorously, "No, you do not belong to me, I am a friend, and what do most people call you if not Todd?" Genuine curiosity colored the professor's tone, he was intrigued by what was going on with the small mutant.  
  
The unnamed teen sitting on the table hesitated and the professor thought that perhaps he wasn't used to be asked about anything where he had to make a decision so he lowered his voice to a commanding level before talking to him again, "Tell me what others call you."  
  
The command seemed to do the trick as he straightened again his eyes shining, obviously wanting to please, "Master always called me Kirei, but I am also whore, slave, freak....." The professor cut him off by waving his hand, he didn't want to hear anymore, "So where is Todd? I want to talk to him."  
  
A glazed expression came over Kirei's face as he seemed to be holding a conversation in his head, when he returned he lowered his eyes to the floor and clasped his hands in front of his knees; "Todd doesn't want to come out, I'm sorry Master I really tried." He tenses as if expecting a blow or some sort of punishment.  
  
Gesturing, the professor tries to reassure him that he won't get punished for this; "It's okay Kirei, I understand that he may not want to come out, but why not?"  
  
Again that not quite there expression slides across his face and suddenly it is as if we are looking at a new person, his face tightens darkly and the his eyes go flat and hard, much to old in a soft face, "Todd doesn't want to come the fuck out, he's safe and all of you can leave him the hell alone."  
  
Lance jumps in quickly his eyes large, "Who are you? You're definitely not Todd."  
  
Laughing coldly the boy turned man on the table looks at us, "Ya got that right Rocky, the names Protector, how do you think Todd managed to survive on the streets, his own thieving skills? Hell no, especially when he was still that pretty boy from the mansion. I'm the one who leaks out when he is in a real fight not the pathetic one-upmanship that you and these X- holes seem to engage in. Now I am warning you, ALL of you to leave Todd alone, or there will be hell to pay for I am a part of him, just hidden to him, and I will be watching."  
  
With that his face softened back into the gentle features of Kirei, who quickly had a slightly fearful expression on his face; he jumped quickly off the table and basically collapsed on his knees next to the Professor. "I'm sorry Sir, he usually only comes out when we are on the streets, never when I am with someone, I am deeply sorry Sir."  
  
Kirei remained bowed on the floor, his shoulders tensed as if expecting something crashing down on him, he flinched when the professor rested a single hand on his shoulder, "It is no issue Kirei, now, you will be needing new clothes and perhaps we can get rid of that ...thing... around your neck, hmmmm?  
  
Saying this the professor reached for the leather around Kirei's neck; Lance and Pietro immediately tensed, they had warned Xavier, but if he didn't listen they wouldn't be responsible for the results.  
  
Kirei's hands immediately flew to his neck and he clutched it like a lifeline, "but..but Master gave it to me, he would be mad if I took it off, my..my powers, I need it."  
  
He backed away into a corner of the room curling up, wrapping his arms around himself in a hug and rocking back and forth; the professor stopped what he had been attempting and instead asked a question, "Will you show us your power Kirei, the ones we don't know about?"  
  
Logan remembered who they were talking to when he saw the hesitance to answer the question, and instead changed it to an order, his voice a near growl and very commanding; "Show us your powers."  
  
First Kirei opened his mouth and the others watched as he purposefully removed two caps that were covering his canines. The party watched stunned as the two teeth grew to about 6 inches, very long, very slender fangs, indicating the fangs he spoke, "Thessssse are my fangsssss, they contain a powerful neurotoxin which can kill or ssssstun depending on what I want." Leaving them out he waited for the reactions of the group.  
  
Logan spoke again, a rough curiosity coloring his voice, "Is that the extent of your other powers?"  
  
Shaking his head Kirei stood and walked closer to them holding out his arm retracting his fangs as he walked; those around him watched as he slowly grasped his arm at the wrist. Tabby nearly screamed in surprise as he very quickly and neatly pulled his wrist back until it snapped, breaking the bone instantly; everyone in the room could hear the bone nearly shatter and he pulled it with all his weight. He barely winced through what must have been a hell of a lot of pain.  
  
Beast jumped forward, intent on stopping whatever it was he was doing, instead Logan held him back instead talking to Kirei, "What did you just do?"  
  
Kirei pointed to his wrist and simply said, "Watch."  
  
Everyone gaped as they literally watched the bone knit itself back together, after about 20 minutes Kirei rotated it and nodded in satisfaction.  
  
Beast immediately walked to the smaller mutant, "So you can heal yourself? Very interesting, can you heal anything?"  
  
"I cannot heal bruises or strained muscles, anything but full breaks."  
  
Ignoring Beast for the moment, Kirei shook his head moving over to a small counter area, "Did you want to see my other power? You told me to show you, right Sir?" He said this addressing Logan since he was the one who had first asked about it.  
  
Logan nodded, not as assuredly as he had before, after seeing the kid break his own wrist he wasn't sure he wanted to see what else he could do, it was disturbing even to him to watch someone purposely break their own bone with such severity.  
  
Kirei took a deep breath as he picked up a small scalpel that had been lying on the counter, before anyone could stop him he very neatly pushed down with all his weight on the scalpel, going through his finger.  
  
Tabby let out a sob and turned into Lance's chest clutching his shirt in her fists; Lance and Pietro just stood in shock as they watched the boy they thought of as a younger brother slice off his own finger. (I know, I know, very icky, but wait and see!! Utterly cool!)  
  
Even the adults in the room were shell shocked at the violence of the action, not fully comprehending what he had just done. They watched calmly as Kirei lifted up his hand and they watched amazed as it had already started to heal and reknit the bone. "It will probably not be fully regrown until tomorrow afternoon, but I assume you can tell what is happening, like some reptiles/amphibians I can regrow any lost appendage, as long as it is not my head."  
  
Kirei giggled lightly at the statement, much like a child who had just made a joke, it was not what should have been coming out of a mouth that had just done what he had. Silence permeated the room as he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, waiting for something.  
  
Suddenly Xavier spoke, "Ororo said she is bringing down some clothes and then we need to tell the other X-men that you four," he gestured at the three brotherhood members and Tabby, "Will be staying."  
  
Lance laid his head down on Tabby's with a quiet and heavily sarcastic, "Shit, that sure will be fun, don't you agree 'Tro?"  
  
Pietro leaned against a wall his eyes clouding over slightly, "Father isn't going to be happy, he really isn't...." His eyes clouded further as he started to slip down the wall.  
  
Lance immediately straightened up, "Oh Fuck, Not now! Tabby , the hypodermic and the bottle are in the inside pocket of my jacket, hurry, Todd if you are in there get the fuck out now!"  
  
Tabby immediately went to get them, it was obvious this had happened before; Lance hurried over to the boy on collapsed against the wall grabbing him he sank to the floor cradling him like a small child against his chest; it was at this point you could have mistaken him for the 40 year old father of a troubled teen, rather then an 18 year old boy holding someone only two years younger then him. Pietro's hands wrapped around his shirt grounding him somewhat.  
  
"C'mon Tro, you're stronger then this, hold on Tabby is getting it, just breathe okay? That's right deep breaths c'mon breathe, ya gotta slow down, slow breaths, in, out, in, out, in, out; that's good..."  
  
The three X-men watched as suddenly Todd joined Lance on the floor; Lance looked up at him, and recognized Todd, not Kirei was in control, "Welcome back, Tabby is grabbing it."  
  
Todd nodded and grabbed one of Pietro's hands, his hazy eyes moved over to the smaller teen, "T..T..o..dd.dd" he tried to speak.  
  
Todd shook his head, "Pietro shut up, you know I'd come out to help, you both suck, seriously."  
  
Lance cracked a small smile as he held Pietro, "Ya better just stick around for now."  
  
Todd nodded knowing that he could retreat at any time he wanted, but he might as well agree for the moment.  
  
Just then Tabby came racing back in holding a small bottle and a long hypodermic needle, she looked at Lance and when he nodded handed both of them to Todd, "Lance take off his shirt and grab his arms, I fuckin' hate doing this" Todd quickly filled the needle with a clear liquid from the bottle, he then tapped it to make sure that there were no air bubbles to kill Pietro.  
  
Kneeling over Pietro Todd took the needle and carefully positioned it over his heart, "Okay, Tro deep breath on one, two, three...." Saying this he plunged the needle quickly into Pietro's heart pushing down the plunger to get all the medication out.  
  
After this the teen stepped back, immediately removing the hypodermic and disposing it in the corner. He grabbed the shirt he saw in the corner and threw it on moving back next to Lance and the others.  
  
The Professor and the other X-men immediately looked to the three teens for an explanation of what was going on, and both Tabby and Todd looked over at Lance, waiting for his word.  
  
Lance stood lifting Pietro with him as if he were nothing, obviously more was hidden in his slender form then they could see, he let out a sigh, "I'll explain as best I can, but first I need a bed to put Pietro in, he'll sleep for at least a few hours, Todd you look exhausted as well, lay down with him."  
  
The smaller teen nodded, much too tired to even care, though he did look to the older teen, "Lance can you pick this lock first?" he asked gesturing at the thing around his neck.  
  
He nodded and handed Pietro to Tabby for a moment as he pulled a small case from one of the numerous pockets within his coat. Opening it a bunch of locksmiths and picking tools were revealed. He pulled out a small one and immediately set to work.  
  
The adults watched as skillful fingers immediately plied the lock open and removed the collar handing it to Todd who tucked it in his pocket. Lance picked Pietro back up, cradling him against his chest as he looked at the Professor.  
  
Xavier nodded at Beast who walked further down the long hall to a set of doors, opening them he gestured Lance to set Pietro on one of the beds inside.  
  
Tabby was right behind him and she drew back the sheets on the bed. Todd immediately hopped onto one side of the bed settling down immediately. Lance gently set Pietro down on the bed, removing his shoes and Tabby drew up the soft blankets around the two teens  
  
Walking out Lance closed the door softly behind him, swinging one arm over Tabby's shoulder and using other to massage his face tiredly. "I suppose we owe you an explanation, I'll try to explain what I know." 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
  
Lance's tired eyes looked up at the now four assembled adults, Storm had appeared earlier with the clothes that Todd had found earlier. "Is there somewhere we could maybe sit before I go into this, I'm not exactly running at full steam here."  
  
The professor gestured at Storm to go to the hospital wing and sort it out. The three older X-men noticed Lance rub his head and wince as if in pain, he even seemed to slump a little against Tabby, looking at him worriedly she escorted him to a small room at the end of the hallway with some couches and chairs.  
  
Lance flopped on one of the couches, Tabby leaned over to whisper something in his ear and because of his hearing Logan was the only one who caught it. "You know what happens if you get stressed, or use your powers to much, where's the meds?"  
  
Lance glared up at her halfheartedly the dark circles under his eyes really not making it much of a glare, "Tabby, I'm fi..."  
  
Tabby cut him off with merely a look that suggested unless he fessed up right now she was going to beat him within an inch of his life. Slumping back against the cushions Lance's hand started to quiver, he swore and clenched them as they continued to shake, "upper inside pocket on the right of my coat; just bring the whole set, I need to take them."  
  
Tabby shot a glare at the three older men in the room before she hurried off, warning them not to try anything while she was gone. Lance looked up at them grinning weakly, his smile pained as he clenched his hands, "She's a little overprotective."  
  
Logan snorted obviously about to start interrogating the teen, but the professor held up a hand, he was in no condition to face Logan's brand of questioning, and they could hear Tabby clacking her way back down the hall.  
  
She walked in holding a pill sorter (A/N one of those little boxes that has everyday of the week labeled on it and little compartments in it) as well as a separate pill bottle. She sat down next to Lance on the sofa pouring out about 10 pills from sorter, he quickly threw them in his mouth and swallowed them dry, Tabby grimaced "I will never understand how in the hell you can do that."  
  
Lance smirked a little with a small bitter chuckle, "Practice TabbyCat. Did you grab...?" Tabby nodded a little and poured out four large white pills from the bottle into his hand, he swallowed those as well. Sighing Lance lay down on the couch putting his head in Tabby's lap, it was obviously a position they were in a lot. Tabby ran her hands through his hair as Lance looked at the three men, "You wanted answers?"  
  
Beast was the first to respond, "Yes, what did you just take?" He had a suspicion what the pill bottle was but if it was then he was having a hard time believing he had just swallowed four of them.  
  
Lance held up the pill bottle in his still slightly shaky hand, "These magic pills are Morphine, 100 mg a pop." Beast's mouth fell open as his hand moved on the pill sorter, "In there we have Anbien, Lexapro. Moxicilin, & Tricyclyne.  
  
Logan didn't understand any of the other names, but he know Morphine and just how powerful it was, "Are you telling me we just watched you take 400 mg of morphine?! You should be higher then a fuckin' kite!"  
  
He chuckled darkly, "I would be if I didn't have such a strong resistance to it, it takes this much to merely dull pain, you should have seen me beforehand."  
  
Beast was still curious, "Why exactly are you taking all these drugs?"  
  
Scowling darkly Lance looked at them, "You can thank our dear supporter Magneto for that, I'm sure you remember his little project on Asteroid M or X or whatever the hell it was, correct? The one involving your holier then thou Cyclops."  
  
Tabby smirked at the nickname, she thought it fit perfectly but it probably wasn't a good idea to insult the leader of the group they were being forced to rely upon, she whispered just that in Lance's ear.  
  
Before any of the X-men could comment Lance raised his hand and sighed, "I apologize, that was uncalled for, it isn't my place to insult anyone on your team."  
  
Seeing the looks of stunned amazement on the faces of the X-men he snorted, "I am not the person you think I am, and circumstances can force you to grow up, we are going to need your help, it is idiotic and detrimental to our own well-being for me to insult your team."  
  
Logan glared at the teen on the couch, not quite absorbing all that was happening, "Who in the hell are ya', there is no way that you are Lance Alvers."  
  
"Really, and how would you know that? You have talked to me once, and already had your preset conceptions of who I was. There is nothing I can do to change your opinions so I won't try."  
  
Shifting on the couch he continued, "Anyway, after that whole incident, Magneto decided he didn't want to give up his experiments, so Pietro and I became his new 'guinea pigs'."  
  
Xavier interrupted Lance, "What about Fred and Todd?"  
  
"Fred and Todd were both considered useless; as much as I hate to admit it Fred really is, he should have left by now, he has been planning to bail out on this town for a long time. He doesn't fit in with mutants or with humans, but he does fit in with freaks, and that's were he is headed, back home. Todd is not useless, in fact he has quite a few skills, he just prefers to act useless because as much as he participates, he hates fighting. Pietro and I didn't try to change Magneto's mind; it was better that way, he didn't have to suffer."  
  
Beast and Logan both seated themselves in some chairs located around Professor Xavier, Beast, the consummate scientist was set to start interjecting his own questions, "What exactly did Magneto do?"  
  
Lance took a deep breath and pulled up the arm of the shirt he was wearing, on his elbow and running up his arm were countless track marks, it looked as though many of the veins in his arm were about to collapse. "He mixed different combinations of chemicals and genetics, different cocktails that he believed would enhance our powers, you don't want to know the chemicals floating around my body."  
  
His hands shaking he rolled back down the sleeve, "He was successful, somewhat, his newest concoction did enhance our powers, however, it also came with some nasty side-affects. When Pietro runs every part of his body speeds up their specific function so he can survive at the rate he is running; however thanks to Magneto's nice mixture if he gets to upset, angry, really to emotional at all his heart will speed up to that rate, but the rest of his body remains normal. It is similar to panic attack except for the fact that panic attacks can't make your heart explode like his nearly can. Every time he has one of these attacks it puts a permanent strain on his heart."  
  
"What exactly did you inject into him? What was the point?" Beast was the only X-man with an extensive scientific background so the other two allowed him to lead the questioning.  
  
"As odd as this may sound, that is Achetomaphine; in a normal person it would cause their heart rate to speed up, maybe to dangerous levels, but because Pietro's heart is already far above that it actually slows it down; or at least that is what I have come to understand."  
  
"And what about you Lance?" The professor threw this question out because it seemed he was purposely leaving out himself  
  
Lance laughed weakly, "Me, well, I'm just fine and dandy."  
  
Tabby gently smacked him across the head frowning, "Tell them, maybe Mr. McCoy can do something, so don't give that 'I'm alright and nothing's wrong' line again or I swear..."  
  
He cut her off with a soft smile, "Only you TabbyCat, only you."  
  
Turning to the X-men his face set a little harder. "Since I am physically stronger then Pietro Magneto gave me the stronger, more potentially serious mixtures. Again to his mind it was a success, because how we turn out doesn't matter as long as he gets the results. My abilities have been enhanced immensely, I no longer just tell the ground to move, I can form it, mold it, hell, it feels like I can communicate with it. However the problem is that his wonderful mixture worked hell on my nervous system."  
  
Lance held up one still contained soft tremors, barely noticeable but still there. "This is the best it gets for me, if I had not taken the pills earlier it would have progressed until I was in a full blown fit; usually I am a lot more careful, but with everything going on you can imagine how it slipped my mind. The other side affect that has happened is that it seems if Magneto really didn't care what the chemicals did to our life span. Pietro's heart and nervous system will be lucky to last until he's thirty, unless we find better medication. And me, well, I have a tumor, nonmalignant for now, but it keeps growing so one day it probably will kill me. For the moment all it does is give me a permanent headache, if I use my powers it feels like someone drove an icepick into my head, for days."  
  
He shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, "At least when I go it will be fast and clean, brain aneurysms are notoriously quick; there are much worse ways to die out there."  
  
Tabby scowled and poked him, "Stop talking like that! You're not dead yet, how many times have I told you! You should know better anyway after what you almost did...."  
  
She quickly shut her mouth, obviously almost saying something that was supposed to be quiet.  
  
Sighing Lance glared softly at her, "Since we will be staying for awhile it probably is best I get it all out in the open." Saying this Lance pulled off the gloves covering his hands and wrists. Once they were gone several vertical cuts on both wrists appeared, "These are from my time on the streets. I did things I am not proud of to survive those streets. I...I.. even resorted to selling my only commodity, myself. These scars are after a client got a little rough, but luckily I came to my senses and stumbled into an emergency room. They patched me up and social services sent me where I ran into you the same year."  
  
Before Logan could actually listen to his brain the comment flew out his mouth, "So, you are a whore as well as the enemy."  
  
Lance flinched imperceptibly, sighing as he climbed to his feet shakily, "Believe what you want, I will not deny my history, I am a whore, nothing more, nothing less." He quickly left the room to catch a few winks with Pietro.  
  
Tabby stood up walking over to the taller X-man; Beast and Xavier watched as she raised her hand and slapped him across the face, hard, the sound ringing out in the room, "Are you one to be judging anyone?! How dare you think to know who he is. Do you know where he is going, even though he shouldn't be moving, even though his head is about to explode in pain? He is going to check on Pietro and Todd and then, maybe if he is lucky catch a few hours of sleep before the pain wakes him up. How dare you!" With this she stormed out of the room stalking towards the passage upstairs to seek out the two people she actually liked in the whole damn mansion, Rogue and Kurt 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
  
Logan rubbed his cheek and scowled, for a small thing, Tabby sure as hell but a wallop behind her impact; hearing a sigh he turned to look at the Professor and Beast.  
  
Beast didn't look very happy, his large furry face was pulled down into a large frown, and his eyes were glazed like he was trying to figure something out in his head.  
  
The Professor looked over at Logan, interlocking his fingers, "Was that really necessary Logan, they are making an effort, and I get the feeling what he said is truthful to the core, we have no idea who these three actually are, we seem to forget that they are teenagers who have had lives that have destroyed many others, not just the enemy."  
  
Beast nodded, "Lance and Pietro scare me a little, they both seem much to calm about dying at such a young age, they don't even seem to think about their future, it is like they don't expect to have one."  
  
Xavier looked very solemn and slightly sad for a moment as he continued to look at the two, "I don't think they do Hank, if they don't die from one of Magneto's jobs then his experiments might just kill them, they even have to worry about themselves doing it if it got to bad. Dying is inevitable in their eyes so they don't view it as something in the far off future as you would think teenagers should. They are far older then their years would make you think."  
  
Upstairs in the Institute  
  
Tabby stormed up the towering staircase and into the main foyer, she was beyond pissed right now, if she didn't blow off some steam it was very likely something around her was going to explode in a big bad way.  
  
As she headed towards the large front doors, intending to go outside and get rid of some of her destructive urges she ran smack into the two people she wanted to see.  
  
With a few choice words Rogue and Tabby both his the ground hard as Kurt slightly shook with laugher from watching his sister and friend literally collide.  
  
Two death glares were aimed at him and he shut up as the two girls stood and dusted themselves off. Both Rogue and Kurt saw the signs of one very pissed off teenager and Rogue was the one to speak up, "So, what happened?"  
  
Tabby looked around realizing that the middle of a hallway was probably not the best place to have this conversation. Rogue noticed her looking and realized the same thing, sighing she grabbed Tabby and Kurt each by the arm and dragged them up the stairs to her room where she plopped them on her bed and then sat across on Kitty's, "Okay, now tell me what happened that has got ya looking like ya want ta blow up tha planet."  
  
She huffed and crossed her arms, "One word, Wolverine."  
  
Kurt rolled his eyes, "Vhat did dark and brooding man do?"  
  
"He took Lance's past and threw it in his face! Even if he had to, he has no right to do that!"  
  
Rogue's face darkened, she knew what Lance had been, had done to survive, and for someone to use that against him as a weapon, that was low, especially for a man that she and Kurt both looked up to.  
  
Kurt shrugged his shoulders not realizing the full story, "Vell, he vaz a member of the brotherhood, vasn't he?"  
  
Rogue stood, "Somethin' before that Kurt, somethin' he has na right ta throw in anybody's face." Her face twisted into a dark smirk as she headed for the doors, "Ah believe Wolfie and Ah need ta have a little chat."  
  
She stalked from the room and for a few seconds Kurt and Tabby were motionless, but Tabby quickly bounced up and grabbed Kurt by the arm, "C'mon this is definitely not something to be missed!"  
  
Kurt merely rubbed his nose and sent up a small prayer for a lack of things going up in flames as he was yanked out of the room and dragged after a pissed off explosive girl and an extremely perturbed Southerner with an attitude.  
  
Back Downstairs  
  
Lance walked slowly down the hall, he had fled the room rather quickly but now his whole body was starting to ache, you would have thought he was 50 instead of 18. He snorted as he cracked his back feeling it arch and bend nicely.  
  
He didn't know what he had expected but comments like that, well that was why he ran and hadn't stayed at the institute, some people saw everything as black and white, good and bad, with no in between. He believed the world was actually colored in shades of gray, because he had lived in the real world and had seen the gray himself a time or two.  
  
Shaking his head he slowly opened the door where they had put Todd and Pietro, he slipped inside and walked to the two beds. He mumbled, "Damn mother hen instincts.." as he straightened covers, removed shoes and books, and then turned off the light and reshut the door.  
  
Catching sight of a couch in an opposite room he quickly decided to crash there, Todd and Pietro needed the beds way more then he did. Pulling off his coat and kicking off he boots he folded up the jacked and used it like a pillow on the couch and stretched out, falling asleep the minute he closed his eyes wondering the whole time what new nightmare they had gotten themselves into.  
  
Upstairs  
  
Rogue headed towards the elevator with Tabby behind her pulling a reluctant Kurt along with her, just as she was about to hit the button the doors opened up and there stood Wolverine, the one guy she had wanted to see.  
  
With a slightly evil smile she grabbed his arm ignoring the growl coming form his throat, "Logan, Ah believe you and ah have sumthing ta discuss."  
  
Quickly she drug him down the hall and into the common room, the younger mutants cleared out immediately, not wanting to be caught in the middle of whatever was going on, especially when Rogue had that expression on her face.  
  
Rogue pushed Logan towards the couch none to gently as she stood over him and Kurt and Tabby sat down behind her, Tabby nearly rubbing her hands in glee and anticipation.  
  
"Rogue, what could we have to discuss? This really is not the time." The older mutant on the couch growled out, Rogue merely replied in her most sweet and menacing tone, "Oh but ah do believe we do, specifically about someone's past and yah throwing it in their face?"  
  
If it was possible for Logan to blanch he knew he would be right now, this was definitely not the girl who would have pity on him if she was pissed, he should know.  
  
Rogue played with the fingers of her gloves as she continued talking in the same sweet voice. "Now, Ah hate to be bitchy, but what is your right tah throw anyone's past in their face? Ah don't think yah have one."  
  
"Rogue what do you want?" Logan growled, wanting to leave as soon as possible from the room.  
  
Rogue leaned in and poked him in the chest with a finger, not intimidated in the slightest, "Ah want yah tah treat MY FRIENDS with more respect, Lance deserves a lot better then you are treatin' him, hell he reminds me of you sometimes, I suggest yah get to know him before yah treat him like scum."  
  
With that she twirled around regally and stalked from the room, Tabby stood and walked towards Logan a pleased smirk on her face, "She's right ya know, and I'm not just saying that cause I'm dating the boy, he's older then he looks and the three of them are pretty good together, do you think they were really ever trying to take you guys out? They have way more skill then you have ever seen, especially Lance."  
  
Tabby then followed Rogue's example exiting the room quickly, leaving a slightly stunned blue boy to slip out right behind her, he really had no place to comment at the moment, instead he teleported himself to the roof to think about what his sister and his friend had said.  
  
Logan sat back on the couch as he watched the elf slip out, maybe he was being a little harsh in his assessment of the oldest brotherhood member, hell maybe all three of them. With a grimace he stood and walked from the room shaking his head, he had gotten slapped and lectured from two girls under twenty, treated like he was five year old.  
  
With a wry smirk Logan headed back towards the basement knowing that the coming storm within the X-mansion was going to be of apocalyptic proportions. 


End file.
